Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

painful, inappropriate erection of the penis (continuing)

symptoms of a serious allergic reaction (swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or itchy skin rash)

Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.

Are there any other precautions or warnings for this medication?

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Behaviour changes and suicidal thoughts: This medication may worsen symptoms of depression, including thoughts of suicide or wanting to harm themselves or others. It may also cause agitated or aggressive behaviour. If you experience these symptoms or any other behaviour change while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Family members or caregivers of people who are taking this medication should contact the person's doctor immediately if they notice unusual behaviour changes.Heart rhythm: Trazodone can cause changes to the normal rhythm of the heart, including an irregular heartbeat called QT prolongation. QT prolongation is a serious life-threatening condition that can cause fainting, seizures, and sudden death. If you are at risk for heart rhythm problems (e.g., people with heart failure, angina, low potassium or magnesium levels), discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Blood pressure: Trazodone may cause low blood pressure and possibly cause a feeling of lightheadedness when moving from a sitting or lying position to a standing position.

Dizziness: Trazodone can cause severe dizziness, especially when rising from a sitting or lying position. People taking medications that can cause dizziness should rise slowly from sitting or lying down to reduce the possibility of severe dizziness or fainting

Drowsiness/reduced alertness: Trazodone may impair the mental or physical abilities required for potentially hazardous tasks, such as driving or operating machinery. Avoid undertaking such activities while taking trazodone until you determine that you are not affected in this way.

Priapism: Trazodone has been associated with prolonged or inappropriate erections (priapism) for a number of men taking this medication. If this occurs, stop taking the medication immediately and contact your doctor.

Seizures: Seizures have been reported for a small number of people taking trazodone. Most of these people were already taking medications for a previously diagnosed seizure disorder.

Serotonin Syndrome: Rarely,severe, life-threatening reactions are possible when trazodone is combined with other medications that act on serotonin, such as tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are other medications used to treat depression. This is called serotonin syndrome. These combinations should be avoided. Symptoms of a reaction may include muscle rigidity and spasms, difficulty moving, changes in mental state including delirium and agitation. Coma and death are possible.

Pregnancy: The safety of trazodone for use during pregnancy has not been established. It should not be used by women who may become pregnant unless, in the opinion of their doctor, the expected benefits outweigh the potential risks. If you are or may be pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medication.

Breast-feeding: This medication should not be used by breast-feeding mothers unless the benefits outweigh the risks to the child. If you are breast-feeding, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medication.

Children and adolescents: The safety and effectiveness of trazodone have not been established for people less than 18 years of age.

What other drugs could interact with this medication?

There may be an interaction between trazodone and any of the following:

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:

stop taking one of the medications,

change one of the medications to another,

change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or

leave everything as is.

An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.

Depression Symptom Checker Tool

The Depression Symptom Checker tool can help you learn about depression. Use this tool to create a list of your symptoms and rate how much the symptoms impact your life on a daily basis. The checklist is divided into 6 symptom categories that are associated with depression. You can also learn more about symptoms of depression here.

For each statement choose a number from 0 to 4 that describes the impact on your daily life, where 4 has the highest impact and 0 has no impact:

0 = no impact on daily life/no symptoms

1 = mild impact on daily life

2 = moderate impact on daily life

3 = severe impact on daily life

4 = debilitating impact on daily life

It is important to remember that this is not a “score” but a way to help you communicate how much you feel the symptom impacts your daily life. When you finish you will be able to print out your symptoms and share this information with your doctor. Use the Doctor Discussion Guide to prepare for your doctor’s visit.

Rate how much the following symptoms apply to you.

1. Emotions

Depression can affect anyone at any age, although it most commonly appears between 15 and 45 years of age.

I feel a sense of sadness and/or hopelessness

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I feel restless and/or irritable

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have lost interest in hobbies and activities I once enjoyed

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide (if you have these thoughts, please seek medical help immediately)

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

2. Fatigue

Serious depression affects about 11% of Canadians at some time in their lives, and about 4% during any given year.

I do not have the energy to do the things I need or want to do

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I think the lack of energy could be related to depression instead of another health issue

Yes

Possibly

No

3. Sleep

During depression treatment, sleep and appetite often improve before your mood improves.

I am sleeping too much

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I am having trouble getting enough sleep

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have other sleep problems that are impacting my life

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

4. Weight

Weight loss is considered significant if you gain or lose more than 5% of your body weight within a month.

I have been losing weight recently without trying

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have been gaining weight recently without trying

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

5. Thinking and concentrating

Having a close relative with depression, experiencing childhood trauma or the death of a loved one, or worrying a lot about problems may increase the likelihood of experiencing an episode of depression.

I have difficulty concentrating

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have difficulty thinking clearly

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

I have trouble making decisions

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

6. Unexplained Aches and Pains

Up to 76% of people with depression also experience physical symptoms, such as headache, stomach pain, and back pain.

I am bothered by unexplained aches and pains (headache, stomach pain, other pains)

0

1

2

3

4

No Impact

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Debilitating

Results

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Visit your doctor with these results, when booking your appointment inform your doctor that you may need extra time to discuss these matters. Getting help for your depression can change your life. Don’t wait- depression is an illness that can, and should be treated.

Thoughts about death or suicide are common in depression, and it’s important to take such thoughts seriously. If you feel like giving up or as if you might hurt yourself, get help immediately: call your doctor, go to the emergency room or call 911.